Day 14 - Sennon Cove, Land's End, Porthcurno, Lamorna Cove, Penzance

Total: 277+m / Daily:18m  / Rain Clearing to Sun / A Social Day

3 miles to Sennon Cove and I took a big break to catch up on blog entries. I'm currently a full day's walking ahead and would like to maintain this allowing me to take a day off at one of my upcoming friend meets if I can. The plan is to reach the YHA at Penzance this evening and wash clothes, clean kit shower etc. without having to take time off. We'll see whether that happens in due course...

Land's End is a tourist mecha, one which I was glad to leave. I did however have 'the photo' taken which costs £9.95 even if you are a charity. The reason given is that they have charity challenges through everyday, in my mind that means they should be doing a lot of free photos?!

In 1967 a super tanker crashed (SS Torrey Canyon) into the rocks off the point of Land's End, one of 36 ships wrecked there. The reason they are so dangerous is that there are so many rocky sections at different levels making it impossible to visually navigate at any level of the tide. This supertanker was leaking its 100,000+ gallon cargo into the sea and the Government ordered the RAF to bomb it in an attempt to burn off the oil and contain the leak as best they could. I wish I had seen that!

I met lots of different people today (cards are a big success Em): 3 teachers; remet Annie who was bursting with energy on dolphin watch with Lucy and she donated a brownie! (which are banned in 19 countries due to their addictiveness); one man from the Dominican Republic who bought a bike whilst in Manchester, then a trailer to carry his bag, is now in Cornwall and has surf board, tent etc. in there as well, brilliant!; two Germans who had only today completed their end to end cycle; a girl from Glasgow painting seascapes on driftwood and a kind lady in a shop in Mousehole (the name of a little village). Apologies for not expanding on all of these stories, I would be writing forever and there is walking to be done.

Finding out that the YHA in Penzance was a mile from the coast was frustrating, as those who follow the Twitter feed would have noticed, but I was pleasantly rewarded with an excellent hostel manager, Paul, who works hard, has a good sense of humour and was generally very amicable, a YHA that looked more like a hotel, good company in the dorm and a bar. Late night at 11pm and the beers meant this morning was a little more tardy than I had envisaged.

Day 10 - Trevone, Harlyn, Porthcothan

Total: 180+m / Daily: 13m  / Sunny /

As I wandered to find a spot to camp last night I came across more little frogs, see if you can spot one in the photo (it's right in the centre).

No need for sleeping mat last night, the grass I pitched on was very long and it came a good cushion. Whilst doing minor foot surgery (I'll spare the details) I noticed that my feet were looking rather red, not just rubbed areas, but the whole bottom and sides of both feet. I have a photo which doesn't really do the redness justice, but it gives an idea. I went to sleep with my feet feeling like they were on fire.

This morning was similar although walking in boots again was slightly less painful. Crocs and a backpack is a terrible idea! My new plan for today is 13m which will use up the lead I had gained.

Many thanks to Katrina who donated by both edible and financial means! I searched for the cafe where her colleagues worked but only found the YHA at Treyarnon Bay where I rested my still burning feet for 3 hours.

I bumped into the Coaster_Coast team at the beginning of the day who are putting in a couple of big days to see them to Portreath on Saturday. They plan on finishing before I do, future visits will be brief I expect and only if I push ahead.

*Puppy photo because we are thinking of getting one (I didn't actually see one)

Day 8 - Crackington Haven, Boscastle, Tintagel

Total: 146+ / Daily:19m  / Overcast, Sunny, Spots of Rain / 1 Seal

Having slept incredibly well, I lay dozing until 7 when I packed up and sat for a few minutes with WiFi connection outside the cottage. I had a photo from Emma with a notice board about her bake sale in aid of my fundraising and confirmation that the mini business cards would be in Padstow tomorrow, fantastic! There's some extra incentive to complete the highish distances needed today and tomorrow. The little things eh?

On a similar theme, today I did some mental maths! If I were able to reach £10 per mile, that sponsorship translates into £6.25 per kilometer and 0.625p per metre. If I get to a low moment, there's a good reason to take another step!

I saw a seal this morning as the path neared a cliff. It obviously saw me too and it vanished. I hoped it would become comfortable with my shadow and return. Sure enough, the seal reappeared and bobbed around for a while. It was diving, then emerging further along and swimming back against the current then diving again. The tide was coming in and the bay was curved, meaning that the water swirled around and the seal seemed to be playing in the currents. I sat and watched for about 5 minute, it was most entertaining!

There was a good number of other people walking today and the guide says it is a popular day walk route. This included 4 women who looked about 21 and were all dressed in flat shoes, handbags and short skirts. All a bit bizarre for a 'severe' section of the coastal path but one said they lived nearby, they seemed utterly bemused by the thought of walking alone and I sympathise with them, it is a little different!

Tintagel Castle ...or rather Tintagel Ruins were .. unimpressive actually. Granted, I don't know the history and the coastal 'wow factor' was lost on me, but it is still impressive to build a castle on the foundation of jagged rocks. .. Perhaps that's why it's not there anymore! I looked for the photo opportunity of 'Tintagel Castle and Pier' but couldn't see it.

Set back into the cliff and completely hidden from the road is Tintagel YHA, an old quarrying lodge from when this area was heavily mined for slate. I enquired about weather and distances, with no intention of staying (if I did, the total for tomorrow would stand at 21+miles to get the cards from Padstow on top of a 'severe' rating in the guide) and found common ground with the hostel manager in distance walking. After a long conversation (and a cup of tea from Jarka) the rain had moved across the bay and was coming towards us.

Changeover day at the hostel is tomorrow and I was kindly offered food which was spare. Two beef burgers with blue cheese, chips and a cream tea? Chef Macnair will walk 21+ miles tomorrow thank you very much!

Many thanks to Jarka who paid my membership as sponsorship for Prostate Cancer UK, your kindness is much appreciated.

Day 7 - Bude, Widemouth, Millook Haven

Total: 124+m / Daily:18m  / Overcast + Sunny / 'The Arduous Day'

For 'probably the most arduous day of the itinerary' this morning didn't seem to bad. I was already 2 miles into the 15mile section at the hostel so that helped I suppose. I was able to reach Bude (apologies if it gets published as Nude, my phone kindly autocorrects it) by lunchtime and ate a full English breakfast, delicious.

The day didn't start quite so successfully. I had the worst night sleep I have had in a long time. I was sleeping in a 4 man dorm with one other gentleman but it sounded more like a race track. I tried everything I could think of but nothing could stop him snoring for longer than 30 seconds. I took a 20 audio clip from my bunk which is pretty clear (I may upload it at some point) and I even went outside at 3am to escape, but I could still hear the snoring. I didn't have more than 30 minutes uninterrupted sleep from 11:45 to 5:30 when I got up and left. The joys of staying in a hostel dorm? There should be some sort of vetting process to stop this! Funny thing is, he probably had a great sleep..

Rather than hide from the sun, I decided to sit on the beach, catching up on a couple of hours sleep whilst casually learning how to surf, listening to an instructor teach a young group. I was thinking it might be fun to try somewhere, and Stan suggested the same thing later in the day. Bude turned into Widemouth and then I returned to steep rises and falls ending up in Millook Haven. For late in the day (6ish) there was a good number of people on the beach and I asked about camping on the grass around the 6/7 houses the valley had.

A lady with three pugs suggested that I walk a little way on a track beside a stream and ask at the cottage. She kindly showed me the way and introduced me to Lucy at a charming old cottage hidden back from the road with a stream and wooden bridge in the garden. Lucy allowed me to setup in one of the fields and just as I finished setting up, two lads appeared.

Lucy's son, Stan and his friend Ravi brought me a packet of Mini Cheddars and soon took an interest in what I'm doing, I was happy to field their questions as we played with Stan's diablo. The boys were called to have supper but returned with the offer of a cup of tea and a bath!

The cottage is just as charming inside as it is outside and the family visit every holiday, including all their Christmas holidays too. As the situation was being explained, I realised it is for them, what Treetops is for me. The light fitting in the bathroom was rusted and Lucy gave me a candle, I suggest they never fix the fitting, a candle is much better! So there I was, drinking a cup of tea in a hot bath, relaxing my knee by candlelight, there is no chance I would have guessed that as the end of the day. Lucy, thank you so much for your incredible hospitality to a complete stranger and I hope you and the boys enjoy the rest of your holiday.

A late night by walking standards at 10.30, I highly doubt tomorrow will be as interesting!

Day 0 - Minehead

Having now lost this post three times, what follows is an abridged version of what would undoubtedly have been a literary masterpiece. Now I'm afraid I just want to get the facts published!

Heather kindly offered to drop me in Minehead and we parted ways in Tesco car park a conflicting feeling of excitement and worry came over me as a wandered the aisles picking up the last few things I needed.

In my infinite wisdom, I booked the Minehead YHA without actually checking where in Minehead it was. Turns out to be 20 minutes walk outside the town up into the woods of Exmoor National Park. Despite my initial grumbling and wondering whether I had taken the wrong road, the YHA was a lovely place, wooded on all sides and had plenty of character. There were 4 or 5 other groups there and things were quiet, I ended up with a 4 bedroom dorm to myself.

I slept fairly well, waking only with the noise of people moving around elsewhere in the building. Tomorrow night I imagine will be much more pleasant in my tent with the fly sheet off if the forecast is correct.

*Photo - view from the hostel dining room, it was the same in all directions.